Blood Glucose Log Sheet: Track and Share Results

A blood glucose log sheet is one of the most practical tools available to people living with diabetes, providing a structured record of blood sugar readings that helps identify patterns, guide treatment decisions, and reduce the risk of complications. A single clinic reading captures only a moment in time, whereas a consistently maintained log reveals how glucose levels respond to food, activity, medication, illness and stress across days and weeks. Whether you prefer a printed paper grid or a digital app, understanding how to use a blood glucose log sheet effectively can make a real difference to your diabetes management and your conversations with your NHS care team.

What is a blood glucose log sheet and why does it matter?

A blood glucose log sheet is a structured record that tracks blood sugar readings over time, giving clinicians and patients the broader pattern that a single clinic measurement cannot provide.

A blood glucose log sheet is a structured record used to track blood sugar readings over time, helping people with diabetes and their care teams identify patterns, adjust treatment, and reduce the risk of complications. Blood glucose levels fluctuate throughout the day in response to food, activity, medication, illness and stress, and a single reading in a clinic appointment captures only a snapshot. A log sheet provides the broader picture that a single measurement cannot.

For people managing type 1 diabetes, consistent logging is a central part of self-management. NICE guidance for type 1 diabetes (NG17) supports structured self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) as part of an individualised management plan. For people with type 2 diabetes, NICE guidance (NG28) takes a more targeted approach: routine SMBG is not recommended for everyone, but is appropriate for those using insulin, those at risk of hypoglycaemia, during intercurrent illness, when planning or during pregnancy, or when needed to confirm a suspected hypoglycaemic episode. If you have type 2 diabetes and are unsure whether regular monitoring is right for you, ask your GP or diabetes nurse.

A log sheet does not need to be complicated. It can be a printed paper grid, a notebook, or a digital equivalent. What matters is that it is completed consistently and brought to every clinical appointment. People who are newly diagnosed often find that keeping a log helps them understand how their own body responds to different foods and activities, which can be genuinely empowering rather than burdensome.

What should you record on a blood glucose log sheet?

At minimum, record the date, time, result in mmol/L, and context of each reading; additional details such as meals, medication doses, activity, and symptoms help your care team interpret trends accurately.

A well-designed blood glucose log sheet should capture, at minimum, the date, time of the reading, the blood glucose result in millimoles per litre (mmol/L), and the context of the reading, such as whether it was taken before or after a meal, on waking, or at bedtime. Recording context is as important as the number itself, because a reading of 9.0 mmol/L means something different before breakfast than it does two hours after a large meal.

Beyond the core data, the following additional details are worth including where relevant:

• Meals and carbohydrate intake: noting what you ate, or at least the approximate carbohydrate content, helps link food choices to glucose responses.

• Physical activity: exercise can lower blood glucose for several hours, so recording a walk, gym session or other activity helps explain unexpected dips.^[4][5]

• Medication doses: if you take insulin or other glucose-lowering medicines, record the dose and timing alongside each reading.

• Illness or unusual stress: both can raise blood glucose significantly and are important context for your care team.

• Ketone measurements: if you have type 1 diabetes, or if you are unwell and your glucose is persistently high, your diabetes team may advise you to test for ketones (using a blood or urine ketone test) and to record the result alongside your glucose reading. Follow your local diabetes team's guidance on when and how to test for ketones.

• Symptoms: note any symptoms of hypoglycaemia (shakiness, sweating, confusion) or hyperglycaemia (thirst, frequent urination, fatigue), even if you did not test at that moment.

Your diabetes care team may advise a specific testing schedule, for example before each meal and at bedtime, or a more targeted approach depending on your treatment. Follow their guidance on frequency, as over-testing without a clear purpose can cause unnecessary anxiety, while under-testing may miss important trends. Diabetes UK provides printable logbook templates that can be a useful starting point if you prefer a paper record.

How do you read and understand your blood glucose results?

Compare readings against your personally agreed targets; for adults with type 1 diabetes NICE recommends 5 to 7 mmol/L on waking, and look for patterns across the log rather than reacting to individual readings.

Understanding your blood glucose results means comparing your readings against the target ranges agreed with your care team. Targets are individualised and depend on your type of diabetes, treatment, age, and other factors such as pregnancy.

For adults with type 1 diabetes, NICE (NG17) recommends targets of 5 to 7 mmol/L on waking, 4 to 7 mmol/L before meals at other times of day, and 5 to 9 mmol/L at least 90 minutes after meals. For adults with type 2 diabetes, NHS guidance generally suggests a pre-meal target of 4 to 7 mmol/L and a target of less than 8.5 mmol/L two hours after meals, though your personal targets may differ. Always follow the targets set by your own care team, as these take your individual circumstances into account.

When reviewing your log sheet, look for patterns rather than reacting to individual readings. A single high reading after a celebration meal is less significant than consistently elevated readings every morning, which might suggest the dawn phenomenon or an insufficient evening dose of medication. Similarly, a cluster of low readings before lunch on days when you have exercised in the morning points to a specific, addressable cause.

Hypoglycaemia is generally defined as a blood glucose level below 4.0 mmol/L. Mild to moderate hypoglycaemia should be treated promptly with fast-acting carbohydrate, such as glucose tablets or a sugary drink, followed by a longer-acting carbohydrate snack. Check the exact amounts and timing with your diabetes team or refer to Diabetes UK guidance on treating hypos. If someone with diabetes becomes unconscious, has a seizure, or is unable to swallow safely, this is a medical emergency: call 999 immediately and do not attempt to give food or drink by mouth.

If you have type 1 diabetes and your glucose is persistently high, particularly if you feel unwell with symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, rapid breathing or drowsiness, check your ketones as advised by your diabetes team. A high glucose reading combined with positive ketones may indicate diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which requires urgent medical attention: seek emergency care or call 999 without delay.^[9][10]

If your log shows frequent hypoglycaemic episodes, contact your GP or diabetes nurse promptly, as your medication may need reviewing. Persistent hyperglycaemia, particularly readings consistently above 10.0 mmol/L, should also be discussed with your care team rather than managed in isolation.

Colour-coding your log sheet, using one colour for readings within target, another for high readings, and another for low readings, can make patterns immediately visible at a glance, which is especially useful when preparing for a clinic appointment.

Paper log sheets versus digital apps: which works best for you?

Both formats are effective; digital apps can automate data entry and generate graphs, while paper log sheets are free and require no technology, so the best choice is whichever you will use consistently.

Both paper log sheets and digital apps are effective tools for blood glucose monitoring, and the best choice is the one you will use consistently. Paper log sheets are free, require no technology, work without battery or signal, and are straightforward to hand to a clinician during an appointment. Many NHS diabetes services provide printed log books, and templates are freely available from Diabetes UK.

Digital apps offer several practical advantages. Many can connect directly to a glucometer or continuous glucose monitor (CGM) via Bluetooth, removing the need for manual data entry and reducing transcription errors. Apps can generate graphs and summary statistics automatically, calculate time-in-range, and send alerts for high or low readings. Systems used within NHS care, such as FreeStyle Libre with the LibreLink app, may integrate with clinic data-sharing portals such as LibreView, allowing your care team to review your glucose trends before an appointment. Whether this is available depends on your device, your clinic's systems, and local commissioning arrangements: ask your diabetes nurse or consultant whether your clinic uses such a platform.

However, digital tools are not universally accessible. Older adults, those without smartphones, or those with limited digital literacy may find paper more practical and less stressful. Evidence comparing outcomes for paper versus digital logging is limited and variable; what matters most is consistent, accurate recording and regular review of your results, whatever format you use.

A hybrid approach works well for some people: recording readings in an app day to day, then printing a summary report to bring to appointments. Whatever format you choose, the key habits remain the same: record readings promptly, include context, and review the log regularly rather than only before clinic visits. If you are unsure which approach suits your situation, your diabetes nurse or GP can advise based on your monitoring device and care plan.

How to share your blood glucose log with your NHS care team

Bring your log to every appointment or, for remote consultations, export a PDF or photograph it and share it securely; CGM users can often upload data to platforms such as LibreView for advance review by their clinic.

Sharing your blood glucose log with your NHS care team is most effective when you bring it to every appointment, whether that is a GP review, a diabetes nurse consultation, or a hospital outpatient visit. A log that stays at home provides no clinical value. If your appointments are remote, photograph your paper log or export a PDF from your app and, if your practice supports it, send it in advance through a secure messaging route such as the NHS App or your practice's online consultation tool. Not all GP practices support inbound document sharing in this way, so check with your surgery first and avoid sending medical data via unsecured email.

For people using a CGM or flash glucose monitor such as the FreeStyle Libre, data can often be uploaded to a cloud platform such as LibreView and shared with your care team via a clinic code. Ask your diabetes nurse or consultant whether your clinic uses such a system, as it allows them to review detailed glucose trends before your appointment and use the time more productively.

When presenting your log, highlight anything that concerns you: recurring low readings, unexplained spikes, or periods when you were unwell. Your care team will look at your log alongside your HbA1c result, which reflects average blood glucose over the preceding two to three months, to build a complete picture.^[8] The log provides the day-to-day detail that HbA1c alone cannot show.

If your log shows a pattern of frequent hypoglycaemia or persistently high readings, do not wait until your next scheduled appointment: contact your GP surgery or diabetes team for earlier advice. If high readings are accompanied by positive ketones or symptoms that may suggest DKA (such as abdominal pain, vomiting, rapid breathing or drowsiness), seek urgent or emergency care without delay.

If you drive and your log shows recurrent hypoglycaemia or you have concerns about hypoglycaemia unawareness, you have a legal duty to inform the DVLA.^[11] The DVLA publishes specific guidance on assessing fitness to drive with diabetes mellitus, which sets out your responsibilities and the steps to take.

If you manage your diabetes through a structured education programme such as DAFNE (for type 1) or DESMOND (for type 2), your facilitators can also help you interpret your log and adjust your self-management approach.

Scientific References

1. Type 1 diabetes in adults: diagnosis and management (NG17).
2. Checking your own blood glucose, and target levels (NG17 information for the public).
3. Blood glucose management | Type 2 diabetes in adults (NG28).
4. Living with type 1 diabetes.
5. Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia).
6. Hypoglycaemia | Treatment summaries – BNF.
7. High blood sugar (hyperglycaemia).
8. HbA1c | Information for the public | Type 1 diabetes in adults (NG17).
9. Diabetic ketoacidosis.
10. Diabetic hyperglycaemic emergencies | Treatment summaries – BNF.
11. Diabetes mellitus: assessing fitness to drive.
12. Type 1 diabetes in adults – Structured education programmes (QS208).

Frequently Asked Questions